...were Ft. Lauderdale, New York, San Francisco, or Bloomington the Apostle Paul's Athens, he'd focus his call to repentance precisely at our rebellion against the Eternal Fatherhood of God.
(Tim) It's been a long strange trip Tully's been documenting over on his blog detailing the process of his merging the two churches he wanted to serve and becoming the pastor of the new two-become-one Coral Ridge Presbyterian (PCA) Church. I've read thousands of words there and elsewhere, and nary a mention of the need for approval of the call by South Florida Presbytery. As Tully put it, if last Lord's Day's vote on his call was good, it would all be over. Done. Finis.
If the vote is unanimous or nearly so, we move forward. If it’s not, we stop. This is the final step in the process.
Really, Tully? The "final step"?
Well, err; actually not. There is that matter of my examination by South Florida Presbytery that comes two days later. But we all know that's merely a technicality. A formality. A fait accompli. I mean, who's going to say "no" to Billy Graham's grandson or Coral Ridge?
Keep in mind that Tully has been a presbyter for years, now. He knows presbtery's vote is "the final step" that determines whether he and Coral Ridge will "move forward" or "stop."
Two days after it was announced to the world, South Florida Presbytery examined Tully concerning his views and then voted whether or not to permit him to take the pulpit of Coral Ridge...
Do you think they found his views satisfactory? Do you think their vote was affirmative of his call? Do you think they gave permission to Tully and Coral Ridge to become pastor and flock?
For those who don't remember, Tully was on staff at Knoxville's Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church when they had a woman preach in their pulpit during a worship service and, being disciplined for it, thumbed their nose at the PCA and walked. Where?
Into the Evangelical Presbyterian Church where women are freely permitted to teach and exercise authority over men--even to be ordained and serve as pastors and elders (a step Tully's New City Church had not taken). When Tully left Cedar Springs, he planted a church--not in the PCA, but the EPC. And now, when a very small and very large church merge, the terms of the merger are that the very small church accedes to the very large church in the matter of denominational affiliation.
So, two days after the press releases and posts celebrating the unanimous agreement of both boards of elders and the 91% approval by the congregation, South Florida examines Tully's theological commitments ("views") and fulfills their guardian obligations by declaring Tully's views satisfactory.
I'm sure some of you find my comments disconcerting, smacking of cynicism. But actually, I'm not cynical. Rather, I've had much experience with megachurches and megapastors and megaministries and very rich and famous evangelicals and I find them treated about the same way the Apostle James found them treated when he warned us:
My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? (James 2:1-4)
That's the way fame and riches and royalties and presbyteries and denominations and councils and large churches work. Northern, Southern, or Midwestern, large churches are supradenominational.
Coral Ridge is staying in the PCA, but keep your memory sharp. Either the PCA will make it clear that women may teach and lead small groups and preach while genuflecting to male-only ruling elders and senior pastors; either we will continue to allow women to rule and govern and administer the Lord's Supper and lead worship and exercise authority over men as long as they do it under the radar, staying off the session and (usually) leaving the pulpit ministry of women to the weekdays rather than the Lord's Day; or Tim, Tully, and a whole host of others will leave the PCA.
At this point, my money's on Tim and Tully being in the PCA for the long haul.
There is a third option: that Tim, Tully, and the whole lot of us will renounce our former ways and begin to take a Pauline stand against the heresy of our age.
Praise God He allowed me to repent on this matter, and then gave me the privilege of serving women and men who have also repented and now love Biblical sexuality; men and women very missional and incredibly sophisticated in the work of contextualization, seeing with clarity that this is the most vulnerable point of the idolatry we live in the midst of, and that were Ft. Lauderdale, New York, San Francisco, or Bloomington the Apostle Paul's Athens, he'd focus his call to repentance precisely at our rebellion against the Eternal Fatherhood of God.
